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madzie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Emotional abuse
eve81's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Murder, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Racism, and Misogyny
hunterlovesneilperry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
At certain times, I had to read paragraphs over and over again because I didn’t really understand them. But when I did eventually crack them, it was all fine and I continued in. Rankine can WRITE let me tell u. Her prose and use of words are truly one of a kind, and I will gladly read her again!
As a white person, I do try to put my reading where I would not usually, because you don’t see them a lot. I did really enjoy it, and of course there are times when you sit there and go «I will always be shielded from this.» But I think being aware of those and this and all of it, will perhaps make it easier for those of privilege to listen to the ones wothiut.
As a white person, I do try to put my reading where I would not usually, because you don’t see them a lot. I did really enjoy it, and of course there are times when you sit there and go «I will always be shielded from this.» But I think being aware of those and this and all of it, will perhaps make it easier for those of privilege to listen to the ones wothiut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
krhe's review against another edition
dark
4.0
Me apunto las obras referenciadas porque hay varias cosas interesantes. Primera vez en mucho tiempo que anoto un libro, pero merecía la pena.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Police brutality
savvylit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Citizen is a brutal look at Black identity, microaggression, police brutality, and erasure. Rankine interweaves personal recollections of microaggressions with examination of racial hatred in the public sphere. For instance, there is a significant section of this book that reflects upon racism faced by Serena Williams. Juxtaposing public instances of racism and police brutality with her own personal experience allows Rankine to emphasize the broad spectrum of a distinctly American brand of racism.
As I tend to do when reviewing poetry, let me leave you with a fragment of Rankine's own words:
"You are you even before you grow into understanding you are not anyone, worthless, not worth you. Even as your own weight insists you are here, fighting off the weight of nonexistence. And still this life parts your lids, you see you seeing your extending hand as a falling wave— I they he she we you turn only to discover the encounter to be alien to this place. Wait. The patience is in the living. Time opens out to you. The opening, between you and you, occupied, zoned for an encounter, given the histories of you and you— And always, who is this you? The start of you, each day, a presence already— Hey you—"
As I tend to do when reviewing poetry, let me leave you with a fragment of Rankine's own words:
"You are you even before you grow into understanding you are not anyone, worthless, not worth you. Even as your own weight insists you are here, fighting off the weight of nonexistence. And still this life parts your lids, you see you seeing your extending hand as a falling wave— I they he she we you turn only to discover the encounter to be alien to this place. Wait. The patience is in the living. Time opens out to you. The opening, between you and you, occupied, zoned for an encounter, given the histories of you and you— And always, who is this you? The start of you, each day, a presence already— Hey you—"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, and Racism
readbycarina's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny
solenodon's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Police brutality
klor's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
In a trip to California about 4 years ago, a friend asked me, "What age did you realize that other people existed (outside of your own life)?" That was a constant reminder throughout reading the first half of the book and throughout, especially as Rankine details the various microagressions that happen in her daily life and slowly expanding that into the larger scale things such as biases and police brutality. Sometimes we just want to be seen, but properly.
While the scripts in the middle of the book left a lot to be desired, the writing points out a clear picture in between the various vignettes of what it's like to live as a black person in today's world. I'd love to reread this book in the future as I think it's something that grows on you with time.
While the scripts in the middle of the book left a lot to be desired, the writing points out a clear picture in between the various vignettes of what it's like to live as a black person in today's world. I'd love to reread this book in the future as I think it's something that grows on you with time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Police brutality, and Racism
viaviaggi's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Slavery